Keller



i UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

JOHN A. KELLER, OE HAMILTON,r OHIO, AssiGNOE OE oNEfrHIED To EEANK KELLER7 OE SAME PLACE.

CASTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 285,491, dated `September 25, 1883.

VApplication filed May 31,1883. (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A.KELLER, of Hamilton, Butler county, Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Furniture-Casters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to that class of furniture-casters in which each caster has two bearing-points upon the floor, as by being pro- Io videdwith a duplex roller, or the equivalent of a duplex roller in respect to floor-contacta single roller. y

The invention relates to means for permitting the two bearing-points of such casters to adjust themselves upoifirregular floorsurfaces. f

Speaking of the sh aft upon which the rollerbe it duplex or single is mounted as the axle, the invention consists of Aa roller mounted upon 2o the axle in such manner that the axis of the roller may adjust itself angularly with reference torthe axle, ashereinafter more fully explained.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is 2 5 a side view of a caster embodying my improvements, Fig. 2, a rear view of the same, Fig. 3, a vertical section on line a; and Fig. 4 a similar section, exhibiting two modifications.

3o In the drawings, neglecting for the present Fig. 4, A represents the socket to attach to thefurniture; B, the spindle of .the housing, fitting freely in the socket, so that the housing may swivel as usual; C, the housing supporting the axle of the roller; l), ahood or curtain from the housing-top, reaching well back and down ,over the roller, E, a similar curtain in front of the roller; F, the sides of the housing joining the curtains; G, the axle 4o of the roller, lfast in the housing or leftfree to revolve, as desired; H, two door-wheels, forming aY duplex roller; I, concave collars, loose on axle, between roller-faces and inner surfaces of housing, for preventing end motion of the roller upon the axle; J," the contacting inner hubs ofthe two licor-wheels; K, a sphere loose upon the center ofthe axle; L, the hub-bearing of the Hoor-wheels, tting the sphere and the concave collars, as shown.

It will be seen that in case the roller meets 5o with inequalities of hoor-surface the axis of the roller may adj ust itself angularly with reference to the axle and the iloor, and thus allow the proper side of the roller to rise and accomplished by means of an oscillating housing or oscillating axle. IVhen the 'caster is changing its direction of motion, one of the Hoor-wheels is at liberty to revolve at a rate of speed or in a direction different from that 6o of the other Hoor-wheel. Should the two floorwheels be united in one piece, the roller would not of course possess the'last-named quality; but still I do not confnemy invention to casters having rollers formed of two independent 6 5 floor-wheels. The hooded form of housing resulting from the two curtains permits of an f easily-polished exterior to the general structure being easily and cheaply secured. It will be noticed that the central hole in 7o the floor-wheels is of sufficient size to allow of the angular play of the wheels upon the axle.

The means for attaching the caster to furniture and the means for swiveling the housing in the piece attached to the furniture form 7 5 no part of my invention, and I do not limit myself to any particular means.

rIhe exact arrangement of details described is not essential. In Fig. 4 I show two modicati ons of the plan described, one of the floor- 8o wheels being mounted in a manner differing from the manner described, and the other floor-wheel being mounted in a still different manner, the general principle of construction In Fig. 4, at the left, the collar I is dispensed with, the convex hub L of` the iioor-wheel bearing directly against the housing, and the central sphere is provided witha hub, M, reaching through the wheel to the housing. 9o On the right of Fig. 4 the central sphere, K, is dispensed with.

Casters arranged to have the axle of the roller oscillate with reference to the furniture are old, and I make no broad claim to such 95 casters. The essence of my invention lies in the arrangement by which the axis of the roller, as distinguished from the axle ofthe roller,

rollover the inequalities, the same as is usually being the same in all. 8 5 i housing.V pose specified.

I Claln as iny inventon- 3. In a furniture-easter, the combination 0f l. In a furniturecaster, the Combination of a piece t0 attach to furniture, a roller, an axle I 5 5 a roller-axle furnished with spherical surfaces, for the roller7 and a swiveling housing proanda roller-duplex or single-fitted thereto7 vided with front and rear curtains over the Substantially as and for the purpose specified. roller, substantially as Specified.

may oseillate with reference to the axle or the y eal surfaces7 substantially as and for the purl l 2. In a l'mniture-easter, the combination of JOHN A. KELLER. a roller-axle, pieces tted t0 revolve on the Iitnessesz 1o axle, and having` spherical surfaces, and a J. W'. SEE,

roller-duplex or single-litted to said spher- JOHN R. VOODS. 

